History

Episcopal Charities is a San Francisco based nonprofit charitable organization

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of California

Episcopal Diocese of California

The Episcopal Diocese of California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in Northern California...

. In 1977, a separate division was established in the Diocese of California by the name Episcopal Community Appeal (ECA) to serve the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. In 1999, the name was changed to Episcopal Charities and it was established as a separate legal entity, a California non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Bishop William E. Swing, the Seventh Bishop of the Diocese of California, served as board chair in the 1980s when then Mayor Dianne Feinstein

Dianne Feinstein

Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....

 recruited him to help find solutions to the problem of increasing homelessness. Since then, Episcopal Charities, one of the first organizations committed to addressing the issues of homelessness in the Bay Area, has continued to advocate for the poor and marginalized. Caspar Weinberger

Caspar Weinberger

Caspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after...

, the 15th United States Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...

, served as Episcopal Charities first board president alongside Bishop Swing. During his time with Episcopal Charities, Bishop Swing helped the nonprofit grow into a network of social service agencies that served more than 40,000 disadvantaged people each year.

Marc Handley Andrus

Marc Handley Andrus

Marc Handley Andrus is the Eighth Bishop of California in The Episcopal Church. He was elected after three ballots in a special convention at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on May 6, 2006, and was invested as Bishop of California on July 22, 2006...

, the Eighth Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in The Episcopal Church, has been serving as the board chair for Episcopal Charities since 2006 when he was installed as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California

Episcopal Diocese of California

The Episcopal Diocese of California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in Northern California...

.

Mission

Episcopal Charities’ mission is: “To support new and existing nonprofit agencies in their effort to make a crucial difference in the lives of poor, oppressed and endangered individuals in need in the San Francisco Bay Area, regardless of their religious affiliation or practice.”

Operation

The nonprofit operates “Action Networks” that bring together volunteers who are interested in addressing the root causes of poverty in areas of healthcare, education, and environment. These Action Networks award grants to projects that the network members identify, and members provide hands-on, volunteer support to the agencies and initiatives that support these projects.

External links

• Episcopal Charities - official website

Category:Social welfare charities